Good Fortune
by JohnnyStyle
Summary: Many years after the war the fortune of Meng changes for the better when earth rumble comes to town. But is it a good or bad thing for earth rumbles most famous participant. Rated T for adult themes, mild violence and changing fire nation man.
1. Chapter 1

Good Fortune

Chapter 1

Meng yawned as she closed up her shop for yet another night. Business was a little slow for the now teenaged fortune-teller. It had been several years since the war ended and with the Avatar restoring balance to the world the future wasn't that uncertain anymore. Meng was thankful that young women would always want to know of future romances with mysterious strangers and young men would always want to know if the girl they were smitten with was the one. Such predictions kept her feed and clothed. She was however housed thanks to the former fortune-teller, the kind and venerable Aunt Wu, kindly bequeathing the fortune telling premises and its adjoining rooms to her apprentice upon her death. Meng smiled at the portrait of her mentor that sat on the shelf next to the various items she would use to divine the future. The old woman had managed to last a mere three years after the war ended before her ailing health had caught up with her. Aunt Wu had even managed to greet the Avatar once more when he and some of his comrades returned to their village to assist refugees who had fled the flames of Ozai. She chuckled to herself as she remembered Sokka of the Water Tribe beginning the same argument last time he had visited. He was soon placated and completely dropped the matter when Aunt Wu had predicted a strong marriage between himself and the Kyoshi Warrior that was with them that time, one that would produce many children. Of course only Sokka seemed to know what Aunt Wu's muttering of the moon approves meant.

The talk of romance at that time made Meng think bout pursuing Avatar Aang again. After all Aunt Wu's predictions were fairly accurate and the Air Bender seemed to fit the description provided of her soul mate. But of course she was there and he only had eyes for her.

"Damn Floozy," Meng said as she paused from preparing her evening meal.

She regretted having these feelings though, anyone could see Katara and Aang were made for each other. Perhaps it was just bitterness on her part, in her short time as the head fortune teller she had seen many a relationship come to fruition. It just seemed unfair that any prediction about her very own love life failed to come true. Meng sighed as she prepared for bed; it was strange how the mind wondered when you lived alone. She tried to put the thoughts out of her mind. After all she had the day off tomorrow, no reading palms, no looking for signs in the sky and no staring at the bottom of tea cups, and she planned to enjoy every minute of it.

The next day the market place was busier than usual. Meng failed to notice however as her hair had come loose from it's bindings again and she was struggling to bring it back under control. While she was fighting with her constantly unruly locks a pair of familiar red shoes came into her field of vision.

"Good Morning Miss Meng," their owner said. The villagers had gone through many variations when she had inherited the respected position of fortune teller before finally settling on something simple. The younger children tended to call her Auntie Meng though seen as that was what she was to most of them.

"Oh good morning Lee," she replied having finally gotten her hair under some semblance of control. "Oh and I see your beautiful wife is with you this morning."

The woman latched onto old red shoe Lee's arms just smiled. She didn't talk much and only at any great lengths to her husband. Although they had been able to determine she was probably from the fire nation colonies and had been caught on the wrong side of the flames during the phoenix king's mercifully short reign. When the group of refugee's she had fell in with in months after finally reached the village she was immediately drawn to Lee because of the strange comfort she got when she saw his signature red clothing.

"I must say Miss Meng it was quite an honour to find out we were the next stop on the tour," Lee said.

"What tour?" Meng asked dumfounded.

"The Earth rumble tour," he said. "I heard that when the organisers heard we were near an active volcano they started considering, but when they heard the Avatar himself diverted a lava flow here during his journey before he had even learn to earth bend, well they skipped two other large towns just to get here sooner."

"You mean that thing were big sweaty earth benders throw rocks at each other and act all overly dramatic about it?" Meng asked.

"Yes not the most intelligent form of entertainment," Lee admitted. "But it is such a boom for our little settlement, just look at all these people here in the market today, some have come as from as far as Ba Sing Se, we even spotted a few water tribe people about."

"Just think of all the people that'll want fortunes read tomorrow," Lee's wife added with a smile. "By the most accurate fortune teller in the world."

"Why Lee you should have started with this new first," Meng admonished. "Now do you want to come by tomorrow to find out if it's a boy or girl."

Lee's wife shook her head.

"Ah that is one aspect of life where we both think a surprise is best," Lee explained.

One of the younger children, who had been born after the war, came running up to them.

"Aunty Meng, Aunty Meng," he cried out. "An important looking man gave me a whole sliver coin to give you this letter."

"You know better than to talk to strangers," Meng scolded the child.

"Nu huh, my mama was there with me," the child explained. "The man was outside your shop, when mama saw him he asked if we knew were you were, I said I knew because I saw you earlier and then…"

"That's okay," she said. "Thank you for delivering this to me."

Meng pulled another less valuable coin from her hidden purse and hand it to the child.

"I predict both coins will be gone by the end of the day," she said realising that any advice on the benefits of saving the money would likely be wasted. With that the child ran off while Meng opened the letter.

"Blah Blah Blah," she began. "Cordially invited as a leader of the community…blah…ringside seats blah."

"Been invited by the tour organisers themselves have you Miss Meng?" Lee asked.

"Yes," she sighed. "I better head home and check my yearly volcano predictions again who knows what all this extra earth bending might cause."

After bidding goodbye to Lee and his wife she quickly went to get the food she needed for the next few days and then head home.

A far distance away from the village were Meng made her home, the fighters and the support staff of earth rumble themselves had pulled up to rest for awhile, work on smack talk and do some light training before they continued on to the next Inn down the road in the afternoon. Some of the earth rumble veterans were peering towards an earth tent that was a set a far distance away from their entourage.

"She's in one of those moods again today," The boulder stated.

"Yes," Fire Nation man agreed.

"Shouldn't some one go see what's wrong?" one of the new fighters asked when he came over to see what his seniors were looking at.

"No she's not even there right now," The boulder explained. "She's down in the earth talking to the badger moles."

"Really? here?" The new fighter asked.

"She says they're here then they're here," Fire Nation man said.

"It's just odd to see her act this way," The new kid said. "It's just so unlike her."

"Kid she's seen and done things you and I can't even comprehend," Fire Nation man explained.

"She's entitled to act sullen and withdrawn sometimes."

"But she's…"

"Just let her confer with her masters Kid," the boulder admonished.

"Now I refuse to believe that part of her stories is true," the young fighter said. "I mean taught by actual badger moles, ridiculous."

That made Fire Nation man insult the boy's intelligence and their conversation degenerated into a three-way smack talk competition.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Meng let out a frustrated groan, she swore if one more person came in to ask her to predict the eventual winner of the earth rumble event that was to be held the next day. Well she didn't really know what she would do, splash tea in their face maybe. Thankfully the young men and the older ones who should know better leveled out to about one every two hours later in the day. Instead she had the girlfriends and wives of those following the tour coming in for predictions about love, children and financial stability. Business as usual. Although there was one unusual case of a woman asking if she should confront an earth rumble fighter called Fire Nation man about possibly being the father of her eldest child. At least she was making some money and it seemed the predictions about this been a prosperous year for the village were spot on.

Finally she was able to bid her last customer farewell and in the remaining daylight she walked up the side of the mountain. In a short time she was at the lava flow the Avatar had help divert during time that seemed a life ago. Already it had become covered in vegetation, mainly ground cover with a few short trees here and there. All was covered except one small patch right in the middle of the line the trench had run. Some one had intentionally left it bare in order remember were to start digging a new trench should the need arise. That part of cleared earth was now a bustle of activity as a few of the organising staff, with the assistance of the lower ranked fighters, prepared the area to be a new earth rumble ring. They stamped their feet and flattened the ground, they struck the ground with there fists a stands for the spectators rose from the earth and finally some began grasping the earth with their hands and began digging out the dirt around the actual ring so that there would be a pit for fighters to try and push their opponents into.

Meng stopped some distance from the activity looking into the sky for the obvious signs of an impending eruption. All the clouds were normal, although one looked like a poodle monkey on a unicycle. She then observed the animals that inhabited the wilderness around the village. The few she could see scurrying about gathering food were calm but understandable cautious about going near the earth rumble people. Satisfied with this Meng approached the figure that seemed to be supervising the work.  
"Ah Miss Meng," he said as he saw her approach. "I trust your looking forward to your front row seat tomorrow night."

"Perhaps," she said wishing she could put the same amount of gravitas in her voice as aunt Wu had been able to. "But my role in a village often calls for me to act in the interest of public safety. Will any of your benders affect the mountain?"

"You mean cause a rain of firery lavay death?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "We try to live in harmony with it after all, we don't want one errant rock slide to cause the destruction of the village."

"I can assure you only Master Benders of the highest order will be operating in the vicinity of the caldera or with magma tomorrow night."

"Masters uh," Meng sniffed. "Did any of them even participate during the war?"

"Well actually," he said. "Several are noted for being present during the battle shrouded by the black sun. Oh and we have one special treat that I'm not allowed to reveal but it should be a satisfying surprise to our long term fans."

While they were talking an ostrich horse drawn cart trundle to a halt beside them. It was loaded with many off cast scraps of metal. Probably a fair chunk came from dismantled fire nation military assets that had previously been stationed in the earth kingdom colonies.

"Excuse me Miss Meng I must see to this," he said. "But we do look forward to seeing you tomorrow night and I assure you we always put the safety of the fans and venues as the first priority in every thing we do."

"Very well," Meng said hoping to sound authoritarian. Meng observed the work being done a short while then headed back to the village.

On a dirt road that connected the sleepy hamlet Meng called home to a large portion of the rest of the earth kingdom a lone traveller strolling. Revelling in the sounds and smells of the earth and the feel of a road she had not travelled at her feet.

"I should invite mother on one of these trips," she said to herself. "Maybe then she'd understand why I don't want to stay at the house for long periods."

She shook her head at the thought because her father was a different matter. Thankfully he had agreed to the reason she bought forward for this extended sojourn. Not that she really had an inkling about what the family business actually entailed, she had just hypothesized that seeing more of the earth kingdom would be an advantaged in what ever it was.

"Actually I'd get along with him better if he'd just stop introducing me to suitors," she said to herself. "You know I really should have left at the same time as the others."

Shrugging she continued onwards to the village and the next earth rumble engagement.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was another morning of people wanting to know the results of the earth rumble events. Thankfully for Meng she was able to close up shop early due to the fact she needed to get ready for the nights festivities. After bathing she began adorning her self with her most ceremonial robes and jewellery. It made her feel ridiculous, awkward and special all at the same time. Perhaps if she actually filled out the clothes properly she wouldn't feel the first two, but it would be a long time before she filled out the robes I the same manner Aunt Wu had. She had thought about travelling to Goa ling or somewhere in order to have new robes made but with the rebuilding efforts still ongoing across the world she preferred to spend the money on more important things. Briefly she thought about make up but then she remembered her last failed attempt. Besides it's not like anyone would notice. Sighing she made her way outside, to be met with a sizable crowd outside her front door.

"For the last time I don't have definite answer on who will win," she said. "I don't have enough information about the competitors."

"No it's not that Miss Meng," a woman in her twenties said. "We were all wondering if you could take our children to earth rumble?"

"We can pay you," her husband stated.

"Oh I get it," realisation dawned on Meng. "The parents want some alone time."

"What's that mean?" a young boy of around six asked.

"It means mommy and daddy want to give each other special hugs," his eight-year-old sister replied.

"Okay kids let's go!" Meng yelled to distract the children from this awkward topic the parents were already blushing about. "Every one got their tickets."

"Yes!" all the children screamed.

"Right off we go." She said picking up the smallest child who couldn't have been more than three and half years old.

They set of walking at a leisurely pace up the slope of the mountain to the newly created earth-bending arena.

"You're making funny noises Aunty Meng," the young girl in her arms said. "You go Jingle Jangle Jingle."

"Must be all this jewellery I'm wearing dear."

"It's all shiny and pretty."

"That it is but never underestimate something made with love dear," she said. "Did I tell you about when I met the avatar?"

"All the time," the child replied.

"Well what many people don't know is the gift he gave to the Lady Katara a short while before arriving here," she said. "A simple necklace woven from strands of grass and flower stems, although it's beauty faded it remains one of her most cherished possessions."

"They must really love each other."

Meng felt a little sadden to not have been the one to receive that gift but she felt it was important to teach the children that love was more then pretty expensive trinkets with no inherent meaning. Soon they were in line to enter the seating around the arena and shortly after they were in front of the young woman taking the tickets and instructing the local girl hired as an usher were to take spectators.

"Okay everyone give the nice Lady your tickets," Meng said and one by one the children did so. Final Meng and the girl in her arms were the only ones that hadn't handed their's over. The little girl shyly pressed her face into Meng's shoulder while holding her ticket out. Meng held her ticket out and had it ripped in two.

"If you would follow the young lady to your seats oh honourable Miss Meng and Company?" the girl asked.

"Of course," Meng replied. "Still saving money to go to school in Omashu are you Lin."

"Yes Miss Meng," the girl replied. "This job sure pays better then being a cabbage retail specialist, here's your seats, please enjoy the show."

Lin went back to the entrance to assist more spectators to there seats. Meng tried to sit down gracefully in her robes without falling over or anything coming undone. The older children tried to sit and wait politely but their younger siblings and friends could barely contain their excitement. Meng chuckled to herself when she realised the little one she was holding had drifted off to sleep. The young fortune teller felt a little nervous sitting so close to the action but she assumed there was probably the minimum of danger. Soon the torches along the aisles of seating where snuffed out by unknown means and large lamps similar to what was used in light houses were lit. Probably by a fire bender who couldn't or wouldn't go back to their home nation or perhaps a teenager travelling the world to see the truth of it Meng mused. In any case the arena itself was now covered in light almost as good as day.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls," hollered a man who had walked into the centre of the stage. "Welcome to Earth Rumble!"

His voice reverberated and echoed around for a good half minute. He continued when that had died down.

"Be prepared for the heftiest display of earth bending since Kyoshi became an island," he announced. "The grittiest fights this side of sand bender territory and the most heroic men and women since the Avatar defeated Ozai, going up against the most devious villains since Azula the mad princess infiltrated Ba Sing Sa."

"First up tonight we have Fire Nation Man," The Announcer continued. "Has his flaming heart been tempered by the compassionate Fire lord Zuko or does he wish for a return to the old ways of his nation. His opponent a talented young bender by the name of Gyun."

The two fighters entered the raised arena by earth bridges that quickly fell away as they stepped onto the smoothed earth of the ring.

"Fire Nation man," Gyun yelled. "Why do you persist in antagonizing the good people of the earth kingdom? You should go home to your own nation."

"I did but my existence there was empty," the red glad fighter said. "Until I heard Lord Zuko speak of passion."

"What does the fire nation know of passion?" Gyun said as he bended a sizeable rock into the air. "All it knows is cruelty and how to leave scars in the earth."

"Then let me show you," Fire nation man. "The passionate fire that burns within the breast of FIRE NATION MAN!"

Gyun's rock flew towards the head f the man in fire nation colours. The older fighter ducked away from it and than ran at his opponent. Gyun lifted an earthen wall for defence but Fire Nation Man just ran up it. Reaching the top of it he fell and dropped onto his opponent.

"So tell me flimsy nation guy," Gyun said from under the older fighter. "What is this passion of yours for?"

"To prove to the world that the Fire Nation, and that I, am worthy of standing with them as friends once more," Fire Nation Man looked at all the spectators as he delivered his lines. "To rekindle that warming fire in the hearth of everyone's hearts."

With that he lifted Gyun and threw him into the ditch that surrounded the arena. The assembled spectators applauded and cheered as Fire Nation Man was declared the winner of the first round. Meng noticed that Lee was trying his best to get his wife to show more restraint as she was leaping up and down over the other side of the arena.

Soon the next two fighters entered the ring. One a man dressed in standard garb of a Sand bender. The other a woman, possibly in her late twenties was dressed in tattered rags that on closer inspection seemed to be the refined outfit of the Ba Sing Se lower upped class. One who was truly paying attention would realise that every rip and tear were placed to bare midriff, thigh and cleavage. Meng noticed one of the older boys with her suddenly begin paying more attention. She would have a quiet word with his parents that he needed the talk soon. Meng sighed when she noticed every adult male in the crowd was having the same reaction as her young charge.

"You seem lost," the sand bender said. "Do you need help strange woman?"

"I'm…I'm looking for … something?" the Woman seemed to ask herself.

"Perhaps I can help?" the sand bender offered. "Might even make some coin for myself."

This last part he said to the audience and earned him a mug of something thrown at his head. He deftly deflected it with a whirlwind of dirt.

"Tell me did you ever sell a girl in Ba Sing Se?" The woman asked.

"Maybe, what's your name lady?"

"I have one but I don't think it's mine," the woman smiled serenely. "Joo Dee isn't my name but its what I use for now."

Suddenly twin fans had popped open in the mysterious Joo Dee's hands. The sand bender bent small stones into air and began firing them at Joo Dee. Every one bounced off the metals fans as she approached. The sand bender created a blinding haze and while Joo Dee was shielding her eyes he lifted a boulder from the earth. He threw it with all his bending might. The haze had cleared; Joo Dee held her fans in front of her. The Boulder split in twain and the two halves halted ever side of her when she held her arms out. She bought her arms forward and the boulder pieces shot back at her opponent, he leapt, but raising her arms upwards the large chunks of earth followed him. She bought he hands together and her fans clanged against each other and the boulders crashed together and were one again. As the boulder slammed back into the arena there was an earth splitting crunch there were gasps from the crowd.

Joo Dee calmly approached the sand bender who was caught between the two halves of the sundered stone.

"Tell me do you know my name?" she asked. "Why did these fans when I saw them make me stop being Joo Dee? Was I some one else before I was invited to Lake Logai?"

"Take it up with Kyoshi," the sand bender spat.

"I don't understand," The woman said as she kicked the boulder into the ditch, sand bender included. Once again the winner was announced and Meng had to admit that the night had been impressive so far.

"Auntie Meng," a child a few seats down said. "You could help that lady right?"

"If she asked for it I would give it."

"She looked sad," the little girl on her lap said.

"It's all fake though," a child a few seats to Meng's right said.

"No it's not," someone else insisted.

"Um who wants snacks?" Meng said to diffuse the situation.

This was something every one could agree on.

Meanwhile behind the stands some one had been observing the nights proceedings. Her conclusion it was going well. She had three more fights before she had to prepare so she planned to enjoy watching the fights in her own unique way a while longer. She couldn't believe she wasn't nervous about her upcoming role. She supposed she had actually practiced in order to spend more time away from her parents and thus nothing could go wrong. Beside it's wasn't like she was in the war again, it was nice to do this primarily to entertain again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Meng was down to the bottom of her bag of fire flakes. One of the advantages of peace she supposed was been able to eat tasty stuff like this. Her various young charges were also finished most of their snacks and many a mysterious meat on a stick was now rendered merely a stick. In fact they had perhaps finished their food more quickly due to the boringness of the current match. As far as she could tell was the fighters had a long-standing tribal rivalry and they had drawn a line in the earth and acted if it was the great divide. Some people were cheering but Meng didn't get it. Thankfully the next battle was more exciting even if it did fall into the cliché of sweaty earth benders throwing rocks at each other. The Boulder's charisma made up for it somewhat. The Boulder struck the ground with his fist and his opponent, Meng heard some one behind her say the guy was earth rumble's previous organiser, was knocked away by a pillar of stone that rose from the earth. The Boulder then bent a wall of earth that ran the entire length of the arena. With one kick the entire wall ran down the length of the ring easily pushing the other fighter out. The announcer was about to declare the victor when a mysterious figure rose right up from the arena floor. Stone could be heard sliding back into place as the shocked gasps of the crowd died down.

"Where is she?" The man in dark clothes asked, his eyes hidden by his wide hat.

"I didn't free Joo Dee Mr. Dai Li Agent," the boulder claimed.

"I couldn't care less about some silly servant girl," the agent said. "I want the bandit."

"The Blind Bandit," The Boulder said. "Ha Ha Ha, you fool the bandit is dead."

"Lies," The agent raged. "If she was dead how did she free the many Joo Dees and destroy our barracks below the outer walls of Ba Sing Se."

Suddenly stone hands sprung from the agents hands. The Boulder quickly pulled up a defensive wall and the hands embedded in it. The agent made a motion and the wall was torn from the ground and thrown aside. Quickly some kind of chain weapon appeared from the agents sleeve prompting the crowd to boo his actions. Meng heartily joined in as it reminded her of people who thought they could use some one with her training to cheat good honest people out of their prosperity. The boulder struggled against the chain that bound him.

"I cannot abide by this," Fire Nation Man yelled as he leapt the ditch around the ring.

The crowd cheered at his reappearance. The fighter punched the Dai Li agent in the gut, allowing The Boulder to get free when the villainous character doubled over.

"The Boulder has the flame of passion in his heart," Fire Nation man explained. "But you Dai Li Agent would extinguish that flame from the heart of every man woman and child in this world."

"Thank you for your assistance Fire Nation Man," the boulder said when he was free. "Lets show the Dai Li Agent what happens to police forces that turn against the people."

"I swear by Fire Lady Mai that he shall pay for every flame he has extinguished ten fold," Fire Nation Man said as he took a determined fighting stance.

"You're not even a bender," the agent said as he stamped his foot and the ground undulated like a snake towards the red-garbed fighter.

"He doesn't need to be," The Boulder said as he lifted a cube shaped piece of earth from the ground, fire nation man standing proudly atop it, and threw it at their enemy. The ripple in the ground sent the Boulder sprawling on his back but didn't affect Fire Nation Man. While the agent made the block of earth crumble into thousands of dirt clouds Fire Nation Man just kept coming. His considerable bulk slamming into the dark robed agents upped body. The agent was about to tumble into the ditch around the arena when the woman going by Joo Dee caught him. She held the sharp edge of her metal fan to the Dai Li agent's throat.

"What are you doing?" The Boulder asked as he recovered and walked over.

"Let us defeat this dishonourable filth," Fire Nation Man pleaded.

"No!" Joo Dee cried. "He knows I'm not Joo Dee he could tell me who I am!"

As if on cue there was a spurt of lava from the nearby volcano, but in a way that Meng had never seen or been recorded by any village inhabitant. The lava spat straight up then split into two and then slowly trickled down the side of the mountain and began filling the ditch around the arena, feed by channels that appeared from no where.

"Perhaps the earths own flaming passionate heart is beating for Joo Dee," Fire Nation Man said. "I have no doubt it want's us to defeat him but not before he tells Joo Dee the truth."

"Go on Dai Li Agent tell us who Joo Dee really is!" The Boulder demanded.

There was a second eruption but this time everyone's attention; even the fighters were drawn to it. It revealed a terrifying Silhouette. Quickly one of the lights illuminating the arena spun around and saw a massive metal creature walking down the mountain. It was at least as big as an Air Bison, probably half again the size of one. It's head looked like a wolfbats, it's arms ended in vicious claws that appeared to be swords and other weapons, and it's legs as strong and sturdy as an ostrich horse. And it had a terrifying tail that slashed back and forth that apparently ended in one of the terrifying siege engines the fire nation had used during the end of the war. There was stone grinding noises from were the Dai Li agent had fallen; when every one looked back he was gone.

"What is that thing?" The Boulder asked.

"I do not know," Joo Dee replied.

"We must subdue it," Fire Nation man stated as the metallic creature easily stepped over ditch and the lava that filled it.

Meng noticed the ushers were flitting about the stand whispering in parents' ears and eventually the usher that had shown her and the children to their seats came over.

"This is the surprise Miss Meng," the girl said. "Don't worry everything is under control."

"I'm scared," the little girl on Meng's lap said.

"Don't worry I'm sure Joo Dee, Boulder and Fire Nation Man will defeat that monster," she reassured the child.

"Yeah," one of the boys said. "Use all the passion in your heart to fight the monster fire nation man."

This set off many more cheers in that style for all three earth rumblers.

"Very well lets defeat this metal menace and send it back to where it came from!" the boulder exclaimed. The other two nodded their assent. Quickly Joo Dee and The Boulder opened up bits beneath the creature's legs. As it fell Fire Nation Man ducked beneath the beasts grasping hands. He began pounding and clawing at its chest plate. The two earth benders erected barriers of stone around him so that he could continue unhindered. With that done Joo Dee began attacking with her fans while the Boulder sent high velocity pebble after high velocity pebble flying at the creatures head.

"There is some one inside this thing," Fire nation man said as he leapt back from the one sheet of metal he had started to peel away. The Boulder raised a large stalagmite from the ground and broke it from the earth. He threw it to Joo Dee who kicked the pointed end into the hole Fire Nation Man had made. They then created a hill, which Fire Nation Man ran up. He leapt and kicked down on the piece of rock. This resulted in the sheet of metal breaking loose and flying into the lava revealing a teenage girl with a mess of black hair within the beast's chest.

"It's the Bandit!" The boulder called.

There were murmurs of it can't possibly be the blind bandit from many long time fans in the crowd.

"The Blind Bandit is alive?" Fire Nation Man asked.

"We must free this poor girl," Joo Dee said. "Wether she is a bandit or not."

Fire nation man leapt and grabbed onto the girl within the monster. Taken this as the cue Joo Dee and The Boulder sent wave after wave of large rocks into the creature extremities. Eventually it began to break, its pieces falling into the lava that surrounded the arena. After a few minutes later Fire Nation man was apparently able to pull the teenage girl free. Once Fire Nation Man was behind his fellow fighters they raised an earth wall and pushed the remains into the molten rock.

"Bandit? What Happened?" the boulder asked.

"I was trying to bury the last of the war," she explained. "But some of those poor souls that were lost in it are still grasping their weapons. They took over before I could dump them in the volcano near here."

Meng did not hear the rest, too entranced with the dignified grace the one called the blind bandit had as she stood. She could not see if the bandit was actually blind as her mess of dark hair fell over her eyes. She was surprised that the teenage girl was almost as tall as The Boulder and her clothes though in a simple cut seemed made out of finer materials then necessary. Meng could not recall seeing the girl when she had visited the earth rumble people during their preparations. Neither could she recall the girl being with some others that had come into the village that morning.

"Thank you for attending Earth Rumble fans," the announcer said shocking Meng from her thoughts. "Please come to the town square tomorrow to meet your favourite fighters in person and to hear the announcement of the tour's next stop."

Meng waited for most of the crowd to file out before she stood and led the children to the exit. Whilst the children were excited by the final battle of the evening Meng figured they would all be dropping into sleep by the time she got them back to their parents. She was right of course being the good fortune teller that she was. All through the walk home she couldn't get the image of the earth bender called the blind bandit out of her head and she had no idea why.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Despite retiring an hour later than usual and having a night out before hand Meng had risen with the sun. After a light breakfast of some left over dried fruits the young fortune teller decided on a whim to perform a reading for the up coming day. She started a small fire and gathered the various sacred herbs and non sacred substitutes in order to perform a prediction on something as vague as how will today be. As usually the patterns in the flame seemed to indicate a balanced day, although there was something odd a shape that resembled a mountain except that pattern changed and a slope broke away. It was always hard to interrupt when you aren't focused on something or some one specific, it could mean anything. Except for volcanic disaster, the signs for that were much more explosive and among the first she was taught to recognise. Sighing Meng decided to hang up a closed sign and go to the town square instead. After all that's where the customers were. She grabbed a pack of tarot cards and headed out.

The town square was a bustle of activity. People crowded around to buy souvenirs for their favourite rumbler to sign. Gyun was leading the few young earth benders of the village through intermediate training exercises. In the midst of this chaos the blind bandit was sitting seemingly just observing the crowds. Once or twice a fan would come talk to her and leave with a stone figure or something. Meng stole a quick glance now and then whenever the other fighters who had established rivalries postured at each other.

"Oh my God," a young man exclaimed so loud the whole square, perhaps the entire town heard. "You're Toph, the Avatar's Earth Bending Master?"

"Yeah I taught twinkle toes a thing or two," the teen earth bender replied.

"Is there any plans for the Avatar to appear at Earth Rumble?" the fan asked.

"No not at this time," Toph replied. "I heard he and Katara are finally expecting a little air bender so he'll be busy."

Meng had only heard the start of this conversation, as she had to get back to doing a reading for Fire Nation Man. He was surprised when he heard he would be a great help in improving relations between the earth kingdoms and the fire nation, but he would face initial difficulty with fans who preferred how he was before. After some time the crowd began to thin and many rumblers made there way over to Meng to have their palms read of fortunes told. All except the blind bandit. Meng looked over to see the teen bender playing with the local children. Hide and seek it looked like. Meng wondered again if the bandit was really blind because she seemed to be really good at the game.

Soon even that dissipated and the only ones left in the square were young lovers waiting for the sunset in order to stargaze. Although there was much carousing emanating from the local inn as it seemed that some decided to party as it was the last night the earth rumble tour would be in town. Meng herself decided to head home, no more coin to be made or futures to be told. When she went to turn into the alleyway that held her shop she stopped dead in her tracks. She quickly scooted back behind the corner of the building she had just passed. She peeked her head around to confirm what she had seen. Indeed the blind bandit was indeed sitting on her doorstep. Meng chided herself, unsure why she was acting nervous around some one who probably just wanted a private romance prediction or something like that.

"I won't bite you know little miss spooky," The earth bender said loud enough for her to her. Meng was perplexed she didn't think the bender had seen her.

"Umm good evening," the young fortune teller stammered as she walked towards her home and the person outside it.

"Don't tell me you're actual an earth rumble fan and this is making you nervous?"

"Uh no," Meng said. "I actual hadn't really know that much about it until last night."

"Oh first timer uh?" The slightly older young woman asked.

"Yeah," Meng admitted. "So can you tell me if it is all staged, um you don't have to say anything if you need to keep the illusion for the children."

"The fights are real," the bender explained. "But we have several different stories prepared in advanced depended on who's victorious. But that's not why I'm here I'm pretty sure a lot of sane people around here are sick of earth rumble talk by now."

"So um what can I do for you?" Meng asked. "General horoscope, good luck incantations, palm reading or perhaps you would like to know about any tall dark and handsome strangers in your life?"

This earned a hearty guffaw from her visitor.

"I could tell if some one is tall, dark and handsome not so much," the earth bender said.

"I thought it would be easy to…"

"Oh yeah I forget sometimes," the teen said pulling the long tresses of hair that fell over her eyes away.

Meng's mouth flapped a little as she realised something.

"The blind bandit really is blind," Meng said not quite believing it.

"Please call me Toph."

"Toph?"

"Yeah bandit is just my rumble name," Toph explained. "Anyway spooky I'm actually here at the request of some mutual friends."

"Who?" Meng was still a bit stunned.

"Avatar Aang and his wife Lady Katara f the Southern water tribe," Toph said. "They said to drop by when I came this way, they also gave me some personal items belong to their family in order for a reading to be done."

"You're really the Avatar's earth bending Master?" Meng asked in disbelief.

She had heard stories of the young air bender's three masters but she could hardly believe one so young had taught him to move the earth itself. Even Fire Lord Zuko had the decency to be considered an adult by most societies of the world before he became Aang's fire bending teacher.

"These days I'm just a friend," Toph said. "So are you going to invite me in spooky or are we just going to wait sozin's comet returns?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Oh yes of course please come in Master Toph," Meng koala-sheepishly replied as she unlocked her store and residence. "May I get you some tea? Then perhaps you can show me these items you spoke of?"

"Tea would be nice thanks," Toph accepted. "But it's just Toph, I'm not one for formalities."

"So I overheard in the square today that the Avatar and his…wife," it took a lot of effort not to say floozy. "Are expecting a child."

"Yeah," Toph explained further as she sat on a cushion next to the low table. "So along with all the typical parental worries about the future they also want to find out if the kid's going to take after mom or dad as far as bending is concerned."

Meng nodded at this while she sprinkled the tea leafs into cups in the peculiar manner that Aunt Wu had shown her long ago. She turned and then realised her mistake. Toph couldn't see her nod being blind and all.

"So are they hoping the child will be an air bender?" Meng asked.

"Honestly twinkle toes is just happy to be a dad and sugar queen will be glad to have some one to mother again," Toph said.

The earth bender's posture slumped a little as Meng bought the tea over. As the fortune teller placed the steaming hot brew on the table she noticed that Toph's hair and flopped forward again and the confidence that seemed to radiate from the girl was replaced with something else. Worry about something perhaps. To Meng's surprise Toph was able to pick up her beverage without feeling around for it. While the bender pressed the drink to her lips Meng posed the question she hoped would clear a few things.

"Are you really blind?"

"All my life," Toph said.

"But you seem to be able to…"

"I know and it tends to make people forget I can't actually see stuff," Toph explained. "I can hear things better than most people, smell and taste are probably a little more important to me in the everyday doings of my life to. And then there's touch, how can I explain this?"

"Please take your time," Meng said. "This is quite fascinating."

"Really?"

"Well it sure beats the heck out of telling some dopey thirteen year old that the bad boy who claims to be a creature of the night is definitely not her one true love for the fourteenth time this month."

Toph chuckled at the simple frustration that the small town fortune teller had, if only her own problems were such a simple annoyance.

"I learnt earth bending from badger moles that lived near my home much as legends said the first benders did," Toph explained. "As a result I learnt to…well see how they do."

"And how do they see?" Meng asked. "As far as I can remember badger moles are as blind as you claim to be."

"They feel the vibrations through the earth," Toph elaborated. "Um after I explained exactly how it feels to Katara once she said it was like seeing the ripples in a pond after you threw something into it, what ever that looks like, anyway she said I could feel the ripples or waves or whatever."

Meng was surprised to find she was hanging on every word even though she wasn't really hearing them anymore.

"So anyway when you set my tea down not only did the sound travel through the air but it reverberated down the leg of the table, through the floor and finally to my feet."

"Well that explains why you're not wearing shoes," Meng said coming out of her daze. "Anyway let's see what we can find out about this baby your friends are expecting!"

Meng got up and retrieved the brazier and her tinder and her fire starter. She made sure to light the single oil lamp she owned on the way back as the sun was most definitely set and although it was a full moon there was not enough light to work by. Toph may have been happy stumbling around like a badger mole in the deepest cave in the earth kingdom but Meng knew she would bump into something if she attempted to find her way in the dark. She sat back down opposite Toph and after lighting the fire in the brazier began an incantation. After that was done she cast a small animal bone into the flames.

"Do you have an item from each prospective parent to sacrifice to the flame?"

"A mitten Katara has outgrown," Toph said. "A piece of cloth Aang tore from his clothing during the last penguin sledding trip he took with his wife."

"Penguin sledding?"

"Aang has a thing about riding animals that are large enough to support his weight."

Meng accepted the two items as Toph removed them from her tunic and handed them over. Meng recited another incantation and then gave the items to flame simultaneously. What had previously been a small flame in danger of going out roared and grew bigger and both women could now feel its warmth. Meng studied the flames, watching the patterns swirl and change. Take shape and disperse.

"The child will be a girl, as beautiful as her mother and as care free as her father. Her early life will present some danger to her but those around her shall protect her and in time those who wish harm to her shall know better than to run a gauntlet that has the avatar himself waiting for them at the other end."

"What about her bending spooky?"

"I was getting to that," Meng growled. "It is a matter of the heart and the feelings that take hold there. Once she knows the truth of her heart in her seventh year shall she bend for the first time."

"Way to give me a non answer."

"Sorry it's always difficult to do this for unborn children," Meng explained. "Sometimes it's as if the universe solely made children to be a constant surprise to their parents, you should consider yourself lucky I could even gat a correct divination as to the gender of the child."

"Okay thanks then," Toph said as she went to stand up.

"Please wait," Meng said. "Let me read the tea leaves in your cup, no extra charge."

"Why?"

"Well because the tea leafs are sitting there and its a simple thing for me to do," Meng explained. "And why not?"

"I suppose it could be interesting spooky," Toph said as she sat down again.

Meng retrieved Toph's cup and peered into its depths.

"Hmmm," she said as she pondered the means of how the tea leave stuck to the sides and the few drops of liquid amongst them.

"So little miss spooky?"

"You've been having family trouble of late," Meng said. "Problems with your father but they will be resolved soon but not in a way either of you expect them to be."

"Well he has being insisting I get engaged soon," Toph said in disbelieve. "To secure the future of our family or some such nonsense."

"But your reconciliation will only come after you've recovered from a sickness or injury," Meng continued. "Oh that's worrying."

"What?" Toph asked.

"It says that you will receive the injury defending some one."

"Well that's oka…" Toph's head snapped to the side.

"What's wrong?" Meng asked.

"Quiet I hear something."

Toph strained to hear the whispered voices coming from outside. More distinct to her was the soft padding of feet of perhaps two people trying to be stealthy. A sense of nervousness pervaded the air. Toph had felt it before, from bandits and street thugs who have seen an opportunity in a world they felt was and always would against them. Publicly Toph would teach them a lesson, privately she would wonder if the world was still feeling the affects of the war. Toph calmly stood up and positioned herself in front of the fortune teller. She took a fighting stance despite the wooden floor, confident that the healthy coating of earth she had cultivated would be more than sufficient against mere burglars. Evidently not very good ones as even Meng could hear them as they discussed their ad hoc plan.

"I'm telling you she raked in the cash the past couple of days," one said.

"But what if she's still up?"

"Bah she's a teenage fortune teller," the first replied. "Easy pickings."

"Well okay," The second said as they stumbled through the window they had managed to pull the shutter off. Toph smirked this was going to be easy. A strong step forward and the dust flew from her leg and tripped the first would be burglar. She pushed her hands forward and her bracelet of what she called space earth flew of her wrist pinning the seconded bandits hand to the wall. But while Toph could sense that the first person on the ground had swung a weapon at her legs she could not do anything about it. For it was a simple wooden club, but it was swung with enough force to break her left leg.

"Oh you'll pay for that!" Toph said coldly instead of crying out in pain. But before Toph could fill his mouth with dirt until he suffocated Meng dropped the brazier she used to receive visions on the bandits head. With a metallic clang he was knocked out cold.

'Are you okay?" Meng asked. "I'll get a healer or something."

"This doesn't feel right,' Toph mumbled as she passed out.


End file.
